If the city of London were an artwork, I bet it would be a true Jackson Pollock. A huge, breathtaking canvass, filling space, filling time. Bustling with the energy captured, of one million paint sprays. Throwing the full force of motion, of colour, right into your face.

Orientation only comes from looking at traces and layers and axes. Find your fixed points yourself, navigate, rotate along your interests and passion. Regardless whatever excites you, tickles your brain or simply amuses, just follow along and enjoy, because on each street corner there’s plenty.

To pay full respect to all the places we went to, or to cover at least half of the amazing things we have seen, would take me hours.

So just this:

Weather was fine (mostly), and we walked quite a lot. There’s a nice little company offering guided tours. Themed walks, walks through various parts of the city. Altogether highly recommendable.

Yay for compulsive collectors, because they are the source of amazing museums!

Meeting with kathyh at Sir John Soane's was priceless, and so was chatting with vastan at Piccadilly Circus, out in the rain.

A much too short visit to the Tate Modern. The entrance hall completely blows me each time I’m there.

I had the most wonderful time, tracing the 18th century. Paintings, houses and street fronts. A harpsichord in action. Historically correct naval uniforms and port wine. The sunny meadows of Greenwich.

Movies and Theatre:

I’m Not There (Bob Dylan biopic, as fascinating as it is flawed)

Glengarry Glenn Ross (Which had mostly raised my curiosity, because I had seen the movie version of it some years ago. Also, the additional benefits of very fine actors live on stage, including Papa Swann as Shelley Levene. cavendish, though, didn't nearly enjoy Mamet's play as much as I did)

What a wonderful description of London. I see it so often that I sometimes take it for granted which I really never should. I'm glad you had such a good time tracing the 18th century, it's surprising how much of it remains in parts of London.

including Papa Swann as Shelley Levene.

Jonathan Pryce is such an amazing stage actor. I saw him years ago and he was mesmerising. Sorry cavendish didn't enjoy the play!

I'm glad you had such a good time tracing the 18th century, it's surprising how much of it remains in parts of London.

I must say I was rather surprised myself, as I had never expected to find so much of the old, historical architecture still standing. Probably I would never have discovered it, if it hadn't been for the guided tours that we joined ;-)

Sorry cavendish didn't enjoy the play!

When we discussed the play afterwards, over a pint of beer in some nice little pub, he told me that he couldn't connect with the whole real estate/business world subject. Also, it must be said that the staging felt rather rushed, so that even I, despite being familiar with the movie version, occasionally had a rather hard time to follow. (The eternal disadvantage of the non-native speaker ;-))

The cast was fantastic, though. Strong, impressive performances from all the involved actors, with Jonathan Pryce being a bit like an additional cherry on top.

As for Sir John Soane's, the place is so amazing it makes my jaw drop each time I'm there. One of the guides there told us that nowadays the museum has become even more of a time capsule than it used to be. As the whole way of displaying the various artifacts hasn't really changed since the times of Soane's death, the British Museum apparently does send some of their staff over, to demonstrate how archiving and arranging was done in the 1800s.